Monday, June 30, 2008

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give.

George MacDonald

TODAY’S ACTION

Use the difficulties in your life to increase your ability to love

TODAY’S QUOTE

The City of Happiness is located in the State of Mind.

Author Unknown

HAPPY MONDAY !!

It was a great very fast weekend. DS#2 and 4 and their families arrived Saturday afternoon during a heavy downpour. We had way too much rain over the weekend. I was busy every moment and loved it though. Every one was thrilled to be together and I really hated to leave Sunday evening and come home. But I’ll be returning to the campground after work Wednesday evening and will continue the family celebration then. Meanwhile DS#1 , #2 and # 4 and all their families will be enjoying a little vacation time together.

I’m praying for the rain to give us a little break. Camping and rain is not all fun. Back to work for me today. I know it’ll be a rough start as #1 I don’t want to be working and #2 I had a day off Friday so there will be some catching up to do along with the payroll I do every Monday.

There are a few pictures posted on my Journal page of this past weekend, but the AOL add pictures was not working right so I may put a few more in later.

Also please pray with me today for DSIL’s mom who had to go into the hospital on Sunday that she’ll be feeling better soon.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…METEOR WATCH DAY

A "shooting star" is a small meteor falling into the Earth's atmosphere. On a clear night, you might see one or two every hour. Very bright meteors are called fireballs, but these are much less common. Large meteors are rare. The impact from one of these was probably responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Ice Cream Soda Day

Today is Go For a Stroll Downtown Day

1926: McGraw Electric Company of Minneapolis sold the world's first pop-up toasters

The first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. It was the first laminated plastic car. Sticker price: $3,250

1974: Steven Spielberg filmed the famous July 4th scene for his movie, Jaws. A crowd of 400 screaming extras in bathing suits ran from the water — again and again and again

TODAY’S SMILE

I DREAD going to the dentist. Once, to ease my tension, I listed my middle name as "Wimp." The receptionist read it, laughed and assured me that many patients felt the same way. Half an hour later, the receptionist came into the waiting room. Looking directly at me, she said, smiling, "The doctor will now see the wimp." Three other people got up with me.

ONE MORE…

There was a very cautious man

Who never laughed or played

He never risked, he never tried

He never sang or prayed

And when he one day passed away

His insurance was denied

For since he never really lived

They claimed he never died.

The very last one for today…

Some tourists in the Chicago Museum of Natural History are marveling at the dinosaur bones. One of them asks the guard, "Can you tell me how old the dinosaur bones are?" The guard replies, "They are 3 million, four years, and six months old." "That's an awfully exact number," says the tourist. "How do you know their age so precisely?" The guard answers, "Well, the dinosaur bones were three million years old when I started working here, and that was four and a half years ago

TODAY’S WORD

interpolate \in-TUR-puh-layt\, transitive verb:

1. To alter or corrupt (as a book or text) by the insertion of new or foreign matter.

2. To insert (material) into a text or conversation.

3. To insert between other elements or parts.

4. [Mathematics] to estimate a value of (a function) between two known values.

And Jesus said to her, 'Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.'

Luke 8:48

There are two inspiring quotes on the Wellness Health Education bulletin board: "The greatest wealth is health," written by Virgil and a Spanish proverb: "A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools." Medical science marvels at the capacity of the body for healing, given the chance. We have physicians today who can do marvelous things to assist in correcting body malfunctions, but the healing is by the Lord.

Note the healing advice Jesus gave to the woman:

Be of good cheer. Have a positive attitude, filled with expectation of good. Medical science says that people with positive attitudes heal faster

Your faith has made you well. Once again, there is no room for negativity -- worry, anxiety -- think positive

Go in peace. Avoid allowing anger, bitterness or anxiety stress your mind. When you have faith in God, your mind can be at peace and your body has maximum strength to heal http://www.ourprayer.org

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

To choose a fresh mackerel, look for a transparent, silvery hue and no red about the head

84 DAYS UNTIL FALL !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

It’s the last day of my work week today. I head for the camper after work. It seems there is so much to take with me, that I hope I don’t forget anything. I also hope that I can find room to put it all away when I get there.

This has been a pretty fast week and I know the weekend will go even faster. It always does and this one will be worse as we’ll have DS#4 and #2 and their families come in on Saturday. Sunday evening

I’ll be home and will have my newsletter for you on Monday morning as always. Next week I’ll be home only 3 days and then will return to the camper. It will be busy busy.

Please join me in praying for all the travelers. Some of my family is coming from pretty far away. Others are only a few hours away, but all will be traveling especially the 4th of July weekend.

Summertime brings trips for lots of folks and I’ll be praying for all travelers that they may reach their destinations safely and enjoy their vacations.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU!

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…HARP MUSIC DAY

The harp is one of the oldest stringed instruments. They can be seen in Egyptian tomb paintings and are part of many legends and folklore. During the middle ages, they were about 28" high - small enough to be carried around by troubadours as they traveled the countryside. By the 17th century, they were much larger instuments with a stronger sound and more strings. Harps are regaining popularity today as people rediscover the unique sound of Celtic music

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is Guiding Light Day, marking the show's move from radio to television on this date in 1952, making it the longest lasting daytime show and the longest lasting series on TV.

Today is National Handshake Day

Today is National Orange Blossom Day

Today is Bar Code Day. The first supermarket bar code was swiped on a pack of Wrigley's Doublemint Gum on June 26, 1974, in Troy, Ohio

1944: In a unique 6-inning exhibition game to raise money for U.S. War Bonds, the New York Yankees played the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. Final score: Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants zip.

1945 - Fifty nations came together in San Francisco for the signing of the United Nations Charter

1965 - Mr. TambourineMan, by The Byrds, reached the number one spot on the pop music charts. The song was considered by many to be the first folk-rock hit. The tune was written by Bob Dylan

1977: Elvis Presley closed his concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis with "Can’t Help Falling In Love With You." It was his last concert

TODAY’S SMILE

A few short ones…

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

Since spaghetti is now 'pasta' and a TV set is a 'home entertainment system,' the manager of my grocery store did his best to jazz up the lowly egg. He still has some work to do. A sign he put up in the dairy section advertised "Boneless Chicken."

TODAY’S WORD

forlorn \fur-LORN; for-\, adjective:

1. Sad and lonely because deserted, abandoned, or lost.

2. Bereft; forsaken.

3. Wretched or pitiful in appearance or condition.

4. Almost hopeless; desperate

Forlorn comes from Old English forleosan, "to abandon," from for- + leosan, to lose

TODAY’S REFLECTION

As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him,...

Deuteronomy 32:11

When you put your trust in God, you can be sure that he will guard you and guide you, in the same way that a mother carries her baby in her arms, keeping it safe.

Did you know that when eaglets are big enough to fly, the mother eagle pushes them out of the nest to force them to use their wings? But she carefully flies beneath them and if any eaglet weakens, she spreads her wings so that the baby can land on them and rest until ready to fly again.

The Prophet of Deuteronomy was reminding the children of Israel of God’s loving care for them in the past. When you run into seemingly insurmountable problems, perhaps you should look back in your life and recall times when God has literally carried you through a bad situation. Then you are able to go to him and allow him to comfort and care for you until you can cope

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.

Anonymous

TODAY’S ACTION

Believe in what you can become

TODAY’S QUOTE

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.

Art Linkletter

HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!

OVER THE HUMP DAY!

Tuesday evening after work I went grocery shopping for my visiting campers and then home to do laundry. I’ll be leaving for the camper after work tomorrow evening, so this is the day to get it all done and be ready to travel once more.

I’ll be taking a cooler full of goodies and my car trunk is full too. Showers are in the forecast for the next 5 days. It’s is mostly a 30% chance, so hopefully rain will not be the theme of the weekend. Friday is a vacation day for me and I’m hoping to enjoy it as well as the rest of the weekend.

More and more people are becoming discouraged over the price of gasoline. We may all become homebodies if it continues to rise. We have been hovering right around 3.99 a gallon here. I know there are people that have parked their campers permanently at the campground this year because they will not be traveling with them with the cost being so high. Thankfully it doesn’t take much extra for me to go back and forth.

My little rose bush in back that my Florida friend gave me a few years ago has grown to about 5 times it’s original size this year and has been blooming beautifully. I often look at it and think of her. We had a great spring that really has made everything grow and bloom more than usual it seems. Now we’ll be seeing what summer brings besides rain.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…SWIM A LAP DAY

Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued over an entire lifetime. Yes, it's good for your heart and lungs, but the other benefits make it worth the effort to get to the pool. It can be a good break from the summer heat, a social outlet with friends, or relaxing recreation for the whole family. Signing up for water aerobics lets you get a good workout with no impact stress on the body. And best of all... it's a great calorie burner. Suit up!

TODAY’S TRIVIA

1788 - The Virginia colony including Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, entered the United States of America as the tenth state. The state, also known as Old Dominion, was named after the "Virgin Queen", Elizabeth I of England. The Commonwealth of Virginia and its capital, Richmond, have played major roles in American history. Like West Virginia, it names the cardinal as the state bird. The official state flower of Virginia is the flowering dogwood.

1844 - John Tyler took Julia Gardiner as his bride, thus becoming the first U.S. President to marry while in office

1929 Pres Hoover authorizes building of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam)

1998 - Windows 98 was released. Microsoft used the slogan, “Works better. Plays better.” The company said the new operating system would bring an “increased computer experience by providing a rich feature set for a wider variety of users than ever before.”

TODAY’S SMILE

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad. "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

“Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

“We have servants, who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

TODAY’S WORD

glutinous\GLOOT-nuhs\, adjective: Of the nature of glue; resembling glue; sticky

Glutinous derives from Latin glutinosus, from gluten, glutin-, glue

TODAY’S REFLECTION

We walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Spiritually, we can follow God … guided by God's word, the Bible. It is full of promises and examples of love that God has shown us. When we trust that a loving and caring God walks beside us, having to see and know everything about our surroundings will be unnecessary.

Even though we cannot know what obstacles lie ahead, we can feel secure that our God loves us, is trustworthy, and will always be with us. Even though we cannot see the way ahead, we can trust God to guide us

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.

Thomas Jefferson

TODAY’S ACTION

Welcome the freshness of morning and the opportunities that await you the start of each new day

TODAY’S QUOTE

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.

Kahlil Gibran

HAPPY TUESDAY !!

Thank the good Lord, I made it through another Monday and now Tuesday should be a little easier to contend with. I always have a rough time getting started on Mondays and as it’s payroll day at work I can’t be lazy at all because there is lots to do.

We’ve had lots of rain for sure and it looks like this coming weekend may be a repeat of last weekend. More rain predicted I’m afraid. I don’t mind for me but the grand’babes’ will be disappointed if they can’t go swimming. They love the water and this coming Saturday evening their cousins from out of state will be coming in for a weeklong visit too.

Next week I’ll only work Monday through Wednesday so that I can spend some time with them too. DS#1 and his family will be there with DS#4 and #2 and their families. So they will all have a good time I’m sure. This weekend before they arrive I’ll need to prepare my camper for company.

It’s not dirty, but it is cluttered with lots of my things. There is not much storage room in a camper so I’ll try and arrange things a little more compact. I know miracles do happen, but this may not be one of them.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…FRIED OKRA DAY

Okra comes from a large plant thought to be of African origin. It grows in warm climates and is in the same family as hibiscus and cotton plants. It's a good source of Vitamin A and often used to thicken soups or stews. People who don't like the slick texture of okra might love it fried in cornmeal - a favorite dish in the South

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is Descendants Day and Log Cabin Day

Today is National Creamy Pralines Day

Today is National Swing a Kid Day

Today is St. Jean-Baptiste Day, a public holiday in Quebec, celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist

1949: NBC debuted the first network television western, Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd and Edgar Buchanan

1953: Journalist Jacqueline Bouvier announced her engagement to U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy

TODAY’S SMILE

Who, What, or Where is this?

I only work when you're sitting down.

I can be put together in a snap.

My length is adjustable.

Despite my name, I don't hold up your chair.

I always sit in your lap when I'm at work.

I am now available for dogs as well as people.

My image is illuminated in airplanes.

I can save lives.

Most cars have at least four of me.

U. S. law requires use of me.

Think you know the answer?

Answer: tleb taes (read from right to left)

ONE MORE…

For most men there are three stages of hair:

parted, unparted and departed.

TODAY’S WORD

capacious \kuh-PAY-shuhs\, adjective:

Able to contain much; roomy; spacious

Capacious is derived from Latin capax, capac-, able to hold or contain

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Your children shall be like olive plants all around your table.

Psalm 128:3

As I look back on our experiment in parenting, we learned some valuable lessons:

Some teens follow life in a straight line, while others zig-zag along life’s pathway. It’s best to “zig” with them in love and with courage.

All teens need unconditional love because they live in a conditional world.

A love of God’s Word is vital to successfully transferring faith from one generation to the next.

Teens need to develop a relationship with Christ that is based not on rules but on a deep love of Jesus.

Has God placed any young people in your life? Whatever their age, love them unconditionally. Help them learn to love God’s Word. Show them how to have a deep love for Jesus. And hold on!

Monday, June 23, 2008

If you keep your nose to the grindstone rough, And keep it down there long enough, In time you will forget there are such things, As brooks that babble and birds that sing; And of these will all your world compose: Yourself, the grindstone, and your poor old nose.

Author Unknown

TODAY’S ACTION

Perform the little acts that give form and continuity to love

TODAY’S QUOTE

No matter how big a house you have or how slick a car you drive, the only thing you can take with you at the end of your life is your conscience.

Robin S. Sharma

HAPPY MONDAY !!

I got a little rest this past weekend and the week ahead will be a short work week as I have Friday off. So it looks like a great week for sure. There is really nothing on my calendar for after work this week so I should have some quiet evenings to catch up on things at home.

I hope to be able to enter some pictures of this past weekend for you on my Journal page this morning. Yesterday evening when I tried, the add pictures feature wasn’t working so hopefully it will be today.

Today is payroll day and it will be a busy one at work. I always am happy about that as the time will speed by and before you know it, I’ll be home again.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…SOAP OPERA DAY

Daytime TV came from radio serials - along with the advertisers who targeted housewives. Soaps never begin and never end. They are slow paced so you can miss episodes. But, the biggest reason they are so popular is their reliance on dialogue. This is done so people can listen to the audio portion without even watching the television set and still understand the story. Just like radio!

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Pecan Sandy Day

Today is National Pink Day

Today is Let It Go Day. Whatever is bugging you, let it go

Today is National Pizzazz Day. Add a little pizzazz to your life today

1938 - Marineland opened near St. Augustine, Florida

1941 - Lena Horne recorded St. Louis Blues for Victor Records and launched an illustrious singing career in the process. She was 23 years old at the time. Horne continued performing well into her 60s

1960 - Cleon Turner finally found an entrance to what would become known as Crystal Onyx Cave. Turner had been searching for the place for 30 years. He and a friend found a promising location on the side of Pruitt’s Knob (Kentucky) on this day. They had been digging and digging and digging. Finally, with the help of a little dynamite, they created the new entrance.

1992: Actress Susan Lucci of TV’s All My Children received a standing ovation at the Daytime Emmy Awards when she did not win an Emmy after being nominated for the 13th straight year

1995: Walt Disney’s Pocahontas opened in movie theaters throughout the U.S

TODAY’S SMILE

On the church newsletter were these instructions –

Hold this paper close to your nose and breath deeply. If the sheet turns green, you need to see a doctor.

If it turns blue see your dentist. If it turns red see your bank manager.

If it turns black, you need to check your will so see your lawyer immediately.

If, however, it does not change color then there is nothing wrong with you and so there is no reason why you should not be in church again next week

TODAY’S WORD

interlard \in-tuhr-LARD\, transitive verb:

To insert between; to mix or mingle; especially, to introduce something foreign or irrelevant into; as, "to interlard a conversation with oaths or allusions."

Interlard comes from Middle French entrelarder, from Old French, from entre, "between" (from Latin inter-) + larder, "to lard," from larde, "lard," from Latin lardum. The original sense of the word, now obsolete, was to place lard or bacon amongst; to mix, as fat meat with lean

TODAY’S REFLECTION

All rivers run to the sea yet the sea is not full.

Ecclesiastes 1:7

… The image of a river running to the sea is a reminder of our own journey in life and that of the sea not full is a reminder of all we can give no matter what our age.

It is good to be open to learning and to be open to something fresh and different in life. We have given so much already in life and yet we also have so much more to give. No one person can say that they have it all worked out or that they can give no more.

Our contribution to this world is crucially important. In God’s eyes your contribution is the most special of all. That is why the sea is never full. God loves your contribution. Whether it’s a drop or a flood every contribution is valuable.

Today I can begin to believe in myself and that what I am giving is appreciated valued and cherished.

Friday, June 20, 2008

God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.

Mother Teresa

TODAY’S ACTION

Live with the thought of being in God's care

TODAY’S QUOTE

Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your good health has vanished.

Og Mandino

HAPPY FINALLY FRIDAY !!

AND HAPPY SUMMER !!!

I’ve waited and waited for this day it seems forever. All through the long winter months of January February and March. Now it is finally here and I really am going to enjoy it. It’s so great to go off to work each morning in the daylight and to feel warm and not shivering from the cold. I really need to think seriously about what I can do to bottle up some of these lovely days so I can enjoy it in the winter too!

On the way to work yesterday I kept a good eye out for the flock of geese that like to sit in the middle of the road but didn’t see them. However, just a little way up the road is a pond and there they were – all having swimming lessons about 6:30 in the morning. That is a much safer place for them to be, but I know they won’t stay there.

I’ll be off for the weekend but will be back with my newsletter on Monday morning! Take good care and enjoy SUMMER.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

God Bess You All !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…PLAIN YOGURT DAY

Yogurt is an old, old food that's been around for centuries, but it didn't become popular in the U.S. until the 1980s. People now eat it for breakfast, lunch, snacks - or even as a frozen dessert. All yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, riboflavin (B2) and protein. It can also be low in calories and fat - just read the label

CUCUMBER YOGURT SALAD

1 cup plain yogurt

2 large cucumbers

Fresh mint (to taste)

Optional Seasonings:

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

1. Peel cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice thinly.

2. Stir up the yogurt and spoon it into a mixing bowl. Add some chopped mint plus any other seasonings desired. Mix well.

3. Stir in the sliced cucumbers last. Cover the bowl with saran wrap or foil. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Today is Audie Murphy Day, marking his birth in 1924. Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national fame as America's most decorated hero of World War II. Among his 33 awards and decorations was the Medal of Honor. He also starred in 49 films, including the autobiographical "To Hell and Back" in 1955. The Audie Murphy Museum is in Greenville, Texas, down the road from his boyhood home near Farmersville.

1782 - The Great Seal of the United States was adopted by Congress. William Barton designed the seal which consists of an eagle, an olive branch and 13 arrows -- one for each of the original 13 colonies

1863 - Virginia’s cessation from the Union gave reason for the birth of West Virginia. 40 western counties of Virginia did not secede, and instead, formed their own government, officially entering the United States of America this day as the 35th state. Charleston is the capital of the Mountain State which boasts of having the most rugged terrain of any state east of the Mississippi. Throughout the forested hills of West Virginia, you’ll also find many cardinals (the state bird) and multitudes of the state flower, the big rhododendron

1948 - Toast of the Town premiered on CBS-TV. New York entertainment columnist and critic Ed Sullivan was the host. It started his TV career that would span 23 years on a weekly basis. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made their television debut on the show. Also on the guest list: Rodgers & Hammerstein and pianist Eugene List. The first show of Toast of the Town cost $1375 to produce, including just $375 for the talent

1970 - The Long and Winding Road, by The Beatles, started a second week in the number one spot on the pop music charts. The tune was the last one to be released by The Beatles

TODAY’S SMILE

A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa, taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company. One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that she's lost.

Wandering about, she notices a leopard heading rapidly in her direction with the intention of having lunch. The old poodle thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, she immediately settles down to chew on the bones with her back to the approaching cat.

Just as the leopard is about to leap, the old poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?" Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him, and he slinks away into the trees. "Whew!" says the leopard, "That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans, and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!"

Now, the old poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?", but instead of running, the old dog sits down with her back to her attackers, pretending she hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old poodle says: "Where's that dang monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!

TODAY’S WORD

defenestrate \dee-FEN-uh-strayt\, transitive verb: To throw out of a window

Defenestrate is derived from Latin de-, "out of" + fenestra, "window." The noun form is defenestration

TODAY’S REFLECTION

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'

Isaiah 41:13

"Fear not" is one of the most used phrases in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. God keeps telling us that he is always willing to be with us, holding our hands and helping us…

Each day brings new possibilities for our lives. Yet so many times fear holds us back from reaching out to the exciting opportunities we see. You will be surprised at the exciting things you can accomplish, when you have the courage to believe in yourself and in God's promises. http://www.ourprayer.org

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

Knowledge and timber shouldn't be used until they are seasoned

IT IS SUMMER !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

An unread Bible is like food uneaten, a love letter never read, a buried sword, a road map unstudied, gold never mined.

Jerry Vines

HAPPY THURSDAY !!

It was a bit chilly here yesterday as it barely made it into the low 60’s. I think today maybe warmer and actually get up to 70 degrees. This is odd weather for the last part of June.

I’ve got my good cup of hot coffee right here keeping me warm this morning. I refuse to turn the furnace on again.

Tonight is my Bible Study at church. I missed last week due to going to the camper and I’ll miss again next week too. But I’ll go when I can as it seems I’ll never be too old to learn something new.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for theselfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…MONARCH BUTTERFLY DAY

No other butterflies migrate like the monarchs of North America. They can travel up to 2,000 miles as they fly to Mexico or California for the winter. Those hatched in the fall live 8-9 months to make this long trip both ways. As caterpillars, they only eat plants in the milkweed family, but the adult monarchs drink nectar from many different kinds of flowers. Nectar contains sugar, which serves as their main energy source. Plant some flowers at your house, and they might show up

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is World Sauntering Day, a day to discourage jogging, lollygagging, sashaying, fast walking, and trotting

Today is National Marshmallow Munching Day

Garfield came into the world on this day in 1978 by way of the talented pen of cartoonist Jim Davis. Readers of 41 newspapers throughout the United States were the lucky first-time readers of the Garfield strip. There are now over 220 million folks who read Garfield every day in over 2500 newspapers worldwide.

1910: Father's Day was celebrated for the first time, in Spokane, Washington

1912 - The United States government adopted a new rule for all working folks. It established an 8-hour work day.

1941: General Mills in Minneapolis created a new dry breakfast cereal called Cheerie Oats. The name was later shortened to Cheerios

TODAY’S SMILE

This is an old, old story.

As the horse drawn hearse neared the top of the hill at the end of Main street, the front wheels dropped in a rut and the back door flew open.

The casket slid out and down the hill right through the front door of the pharmacy. It stopped when it hit the pharmacy counter. The lid popped open and the corpse sat up.

The unfazed older pharmacist said, "Well, what do you want?" The corpse replied, "Do you have anything to stop this coffin?"

TODAY’S WORD

cogent \KOH-juhnt\, adjective:

Having the power to compel conviction; appealing to the mind or to reason; convincing

Then the children of Israel said to Moses and Aaron, 'Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!

Exodus 16:3

The children of Israel had witnessed the miraculous escape God had provided for them by parting the waters of the sea, so that they could escape from Egyptian slavery. Instead they looked back on the good food they had while they were slaves.

I think we all have a tendency to remember the good things about the past and not the bad. After one has learned from past events, looking back is not productive. When we look forward instead of backward, we can look at our never changing Savior who will always be there to save us.

We can go forward with joyful and peaceful hearts, knowing that in Christ we can move into an exciting and significant future

This solstice takes place on Friday, June 20, 2008 at 23:59 Universal Time. Some people will round that up – as my beloved 2008 Observers Handbook did – to 00:00 Universal Time on June 21. So you might see June 21 as the date of the 2008 solstice. Don’t be fooled! In fact, for us in the U.S., the date is June 20, and the 2008 solstice is the earliest solstice since 1896.

If you’re not accustomed to the 24-hour designation, the June solstice falls at 11:59 p.m. Universal Time on June 20. That translates to 6:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time on June 20

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

When you get up in the morning, you have two choices – either to be happy or to be unhappy. Just choose to be happy.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

TODAY’S ACTION

Boost someone’s spirit, and you will raise yours as well

TODAY’S QUOTE

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious.

Bill Meyer

HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!

OVER THE HUMP DAY

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DD AND DS#3

May the dear Lord bless you both today and always!

It’ll be another cool day here in northern Ohio today. Yesterday never got up in the 70’s at all but it seemed warmer as it was humid I suppose. Today will be another busy one and then we slow down to a creep at work for Thursday and Fridays . Those are the days that seem longer than all the rest because there is little of nothing to do. I guess I gotta be thankful that they keep paying me for 5 days of work when I really only do 3.

Friday after work I’ll head to the camper which has become the usual thing now to do for the weekend. April through October, with very few exceptions, that’s where I’ll be every weekend. I’m really thankful for the camper as now I have something to look forward to each week.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU!

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…GO FISHING DAY

The biggest fish in the world is the great whale shark. It's a shark, not a whale, that can weigh up to 17 tons and grow as big as a bus. If you're interested in catching something smaller, you've got lots of company on the net. There are tons of fishing reports, message boards, and articles for all types of anglers. Just type "fishing" into your favorite search engine

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Splurge Day, a day to have fun

Today is National Cherry Tart Day

1861 - The first American fly-casting tournament was held in Utica, NY. Lots of anglers cast for fishing prizes and were hooked on the idea

1898 - Atlantic City, NJ opened its Steel Pier to a large summertime seashore crowd. The world-famous Steel Pier over the Atlantic Ocean offered 9-1/2 miles of amusements, concerts, food, beverages, concessions and more. The Steel Pier once featured a horse that would dive into a pool at the end of the pier, in fact. The summer resort gave many a youngster their start in show biz, like Ed McMahon, who used to be a barker on the ocean pier

1948: Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record in New York. It played at 33 and 1/3 revolutions per minute

1983: Astronaut Sally Ride became America's first woman in space as she and four colleagues blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger

2000: Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open by a record 15 strokes

TODAY’S SMILE

Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Difficult Mom told me:

I loved you enough . . . to ask you where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room. . . a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . .. . to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all, but I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too! And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, you will tell them.

Was your Mom difficult? I know mine was. We had the most difficult mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, I think she could read our minds and I swear she had eyes in the back of her head.

Then, life was really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be difficult parents just like Mom was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today.

Attributed to Erma Bombeck

TODAY’S WORD

verdure \VUR-jur\, noun:

Green; greenness; freshness of vegetation; as, the verdure of the meadows in June.

Verdure is from Old French verd, green, from Latin viridis

TODAY’S REFLECTION

All the angels stood around the throne…saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom…be to our God forever and ever.

Revelation 7:11-12

Only one sight enthralls angels—God’s face. They know that he is Lord of all. And, as a result, they worship him. Whether in the temple with Isaiah or the pasture with the Bethlehem shepherds, angels worship… Doesn’t their worship proclaim volumes about God’s beauty?

Angels could gaze at the Grand Tetons and Grand Canyon, Picasso paintings and the Sistine Chapel, but they choose, instead, to fix their eyes on the glory of God. They can’t see enough of him, and they can’t be silent about what they see

1 of 365 devotionals in Grace for the Moment, Volume 2

By Max Lucado

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

A hot compress with lavender oil on it may help ease a headache

June 18th, THE FULL STAWBERRY MOON

The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon

2 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.

Greg Anderson

TODAY’S ACTION

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.

Anthony J. D'Angelo

TODAY’S QUOTE

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. Margaret Cousins

HAPPY TUESDAY !!

We had a beautiful Monday with temps in the 70’s and a nice breeze blowing. After work I managed to make a dent in the laundry which is always a good thing.

Maybe Wednesday night I can get a little cleaning done.

On my way to work yesterday I was greeted by a whole flock of geese crossing the road. There were lots and lots of little chicks following the big guys. They are in that area a lot and don’t care if you are bigger than them or not. Of course I didn’t have my camera. It would have made a good picture.

Today is entering data day at work and that always goes slowly, but it will keep me busy. Tonight should be our dulcimer get together and that will keep me laughing for sure.

Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !

TODAY’S PRAYERS

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

GOD BLESS YOU !

25 WORDS

God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name

TO REMEMBER…

I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.

TODAY IS…MUD PACK DAY

The best old-fashioned, time-tested facial is... MUD! You might dig up some dirt in your own yard - or go buy a cheap mud masque at any drug store. This refreshes your skin by stimulating blood circulation and relaxing tired muscles. If you need a "pick-me-up" just wash your face, apply the mud pack, and allow 15 minutes for it to dry and harden, then remove with warm water and a washcloth. Oh... and don't go near anyone who has a camera!

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Apple Strudel Day

Today is National Eat All Your Vegetables Day

1837 - Charles Goodyear got a patent for rubber

1870: George Cormack was born in Scotland. In 1924, working in the U.S., he invented Wheaties, breakfast of champions

1885: The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere

1928 - The first woman to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean did so this day. She was celebrated as the greatest aviatrix of the time. Her name was Amelia Earhart

TODAY’S SMILE

After trying a new shampoo for the first time, Dewey mailed off an enthusiastic letter of approval to the manufacturer. Several weeks later he came home from work to a large carton in the middle of the floor.

Inside were free samples of the many products the same company produced: soaps, detergents, tooth paste, and paper items... with a "thank you" note from the manufacturer.

"Well, What do you think?" asked his smiling wife, Olga.

"I think that next time," Dewey replied. "I'm writing to Toyota".

TODAY’S WORD

dilatory \DIL-uh-tor-ee\, adjective:

1. Tending to put off what ought to be done at once; given to procrastination.

2. Marked by procrastination or delay; intended to cause delay; -- said of actions or measures

Dilatory is from Latin dilatorius, from dilator, "a dilatory person, a loiterer," from dilatus, past participle of differre, "to delay, to put off," from dis-, "apart, in different directions" + ferre, to carry

TODAY’S REFLECTION

Though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.

2 Corinthians 13:4

The cross.

Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity…

Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness.

The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards

1 of 365 devotionals in Grace for the Moment, Volume 2

By Max Lucado

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

Remove your walnut trees from the area of oaks; they fight

3 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER !

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!